Film noir

It wasn’t until I was in my mid teens that I first remember being introduced to film noir. My mother cannot get enough of the old back and white films. And then she showed me The Maltese Falcon. It was an instant love affair. I soon found myself watching more noir films such as Double Indemnity and The Third Man.

It is hard to speak of this genre without explaining why I’m so drawn to it. I found in film noir something that I hadn’t seen in most other films that I had ever watched. Films like An American Tale, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure or Back to The Future were entertaining, but lacked a certain something. Even Oscar winning films including Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, Rain Man, Amadeus and The Last Emperor lack what a noir film made in the 40’s or 50’s had. I think there is a purity of those old noir films that most films nowadays cannot replicate. The dark and emotional films that draw you in and keep you on the edge of your seat, only to end with a simple answer pertaining to the main character. Most times the audience is left with questions unanswered. The main character has his answer and the film ends. Simple.

Many of the noir films made throughout the forties and fifties were a reflection of the times. WWII had an impact on the world and everything in it including the film world. Simple was good for film and film noir was fresh.